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God is one. But when there is to be a universe, the one Godhead forms a duality for the purpose of creating the Cosmos. This is Yang and Yin, or Krishna and Rama, who are thus the true parents of each and every life form in the created Universe -- all of its galaxies and each of its transcendental levels.

Krishna is the most general (least role-defined) personality of Godhead. He is the chief personality for this reason; not that he “outranks” the other forms. Rama is the mother aspect of Godhead. The mother aspect has many colorful forms, and the maternal love that flows from them is unconditional. She never stops loving you with a love similar to but surpassing, that which you have for your own dear baby child. Hurting another -- doing actual damage -- will cost you some of Her favor for awhile; She will draw away because of the pain you have caused by damaging one who is beloved of Her. Note the similarity of the name to “mama” a universal way that the young address the mother. As Swami Prabhupada has noted, it is good to have some of that same spirit in addressing her -- with the same feeling as when a small child says “mama”. Bear in mind that all of these names and forms are of One Person -- One Individual Godhead. They are aspectual. It’s fun to use them. A good example of appropriate behavior and attitude in the presence of Krishna and Rama is found here. )

All of the syllables in the mantra (originally given in the Kali Santarana Upanishad) (click the link to the left) are tantric (click here for explication}. Harã is the Shakti — the intention of Krishna in expressing the universe. To address Him in the vocative form of Harã (Hare), is to invoke the context of the universe as it actually is, as He intended it, rather than in the error-prone way in which we tend to perceive it.

The Krishna devotees of ISKCON chant sixteen rounds (a round is 108 repetitions) of the mantra daily. They counsel against inattentive devotional chanting, but in my experience, if the mind is in not such a good place and you do not have very much energy, this mantra can be clung to by one adrift in a stormy sea like a sturdy piece of driftwood. It can keep you afloat and carry you shoreward.

A long chanting session, like 108 repetitions of this mantra, is called “jappa”, and jappa is a little strenuous -- not for everyone. If you try it, and you like it -- fine. For most people, just 10 repetions is a good practice. It takes less than two minutes, and it's a good way to touch base with Godhead. In fact, this can be an excellent way to say your prayers, at night or in the morning. Christ counsels that when you pray, be not as the heathen, multiplying words. For the Godhead knows, even before you speak, what you would say, and also what is best for you, and how you would phrase it if you knew everything you should. So if you simply address him by repeating these holy names, you can be thinking subliminally about the things you would pray about, and even making supplications. Touch upon them, but do not emphasize them. He already knows. He is the knower of the known. The “Om” mantra can be used in the same way.

When things are not going as well as they might, in your life, and if you like using the mantra to say your prayers, I recommend seven minutes in the morning, as soon as you get up, and seven minutes at night, just before you go to bed. Another seven minutes right around midday is that much more loving attention from Godhead. You might, if you wish, keep the following two thoughts in mind as you chant: “Be still and know that I am God,” and “He knows before I speak.” Putting the mind into the words of the mantra is a good way to still the mind, if you catch it rambling.

I use the guitar for the morning and night mantra prayers, and khartals for the midday version. An mp3 of the guitar form is here. An mp3 of the khartal kind is here. Both of these mp3's can be downloaded from the download section.

If you listen to the khartal version, notice that after a repetition (hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare) there is about a 4-second interval before the next repetition. It is good to use that interval for taking a deep breath through the nostrils. This keeps more oxygen in the brain, leading to higher chanting sessions.